Labour with your 1st - How long??

First baby 6 hours. No signs of labour until membranes ruptured (5 weeks 1 day prem). Then it was 3 hours of bliss. No pain at all, although I think I had contractions without knowing it. The last 3 hours I knew things were happening.

Second baby 3 hours 45 minutes, but this time I was induced. Not sure how that really affects the duration of labour. Seems as if there is still not agreement on that. I just know the nurse was caught off guard as she didn't expect it to happen so fast. She was having breakfast elsewhere when I got to 10cm and wanted to push, LOL. She rushed in chewing her toast .

I was in labour for 3 hours 7 minutes, including delivery of the placenta.

My Mom and Aunts had also had quick labours. Its not a hard and fast rule, but as a general I have found that if your Mom had easy, quick labours then so should you. (But I emphasis that is just a general thing that I have noticed)

Wow - Thanks for all the replies ladies!

I am going to be trying the hypnobithing way as well...

Claudia. B is so right I went into labour at 2 am, but was only sure I was in labour at about 7 - 7: 30 and that's when we headed for hospital.

It was only the last 4 - 4.5 hours that were tough( but still manageable) and that included 35 minutes of pushing. I thought the pain disappeared once I started pushing

In my head my labour was 3 hours (with one of those pushing), because thats when I noticed the pain as being "painful", my contractions started 10 hours before my lb was born, but I still went out for lunch, did some groceries and managed fine before they were close enough for my midwife to come out:) Early labour is not difficult, it starts slow and builds up - some people dont even realise they are in labour till later on, so dont worry:) One of my friends in the UK was in labour for 30 hours, she went to hospital and they sent her home because her contractions werent close enough together. She actually got her hubby to drive her to have a curry because of the wives tale about it speeding things up - but the full stomach just put her to sleep:)

8 hours from the time I realized I was in labour at 11pm - only went to hospital at 04h30 and she was born at 07h00 - good luck.